Migrants entering Hungary wait on the Serbian border and the fence set up by Hungarian police and forces. Source: Horgos, Serbia, September 15, 2015. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
By Hollis Presnell
President Obama said that the U.S. is prepared to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees sometime during the next year. Currently in Hungary, they are contemplating passing a law to stop migrants from the Middle East and Africa from entering Europe.
Migrants are trying to enter Europe so they can have a better life. Most are escaping from poverty and war in the countries they left. Civil war in Syria has left many people without homes, food, shelter or water.
Hungary has placed a razor wire fence and police all across its border and has been trying to stop migrants entering the country. Those who do get through have been trying to get to Austria and Germany by train. Unfortunately, the Hungarian police had been blocking undocumented migrants’ access to the trains in Budapest and other locations.
Recently, the Hungarian government shifted its focus from not letting people in trains to Europe. Their main concern now is the border they share with neighboring countries to the south.
The Hungarians are planning to set up a fence on its Serbian border, similar to the one on the Egyptian-Israeli border. Its main purpose will be to stop all migrants from entering Europe. The hostility of the people and governments in the countries refugees have to go through are astounding.
Many right wing officials such as Geert Wilders, a Duch leader, have been calling the invasion of refugees an “Islamic Invasion.” The reaction from most politicians in Europe to the increasing number of migrants has been mostly negative. They see the incoming migrants as an attack on their culture.
Germany is preparing to have 800,000 migrants enter the country by the end of the year. Germany is the most supportive of refugees at this point and has a great influx of people coming every day. Even though a portion of these northern European countries dislike the idea of refugees coming to their homes, many of their governments and citizens are supportive of migrants.
Germany is currently asking other European Union countries to pull their weight. Poland has recently agreed to start preparing for immigrants. France has recently gained more support for migrants as the second leading country for refugees to settle.
In places like Greece, many migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe. In many situations, whole boats have crashed and hundreds have died. The ones who make it then have to move from where they land to further north on their journey to countries like Hungary. Even when they get there, there is a chance they will be caught and stopped.
The main problem is that many Syrians and others who are escaping from the Middle East are trying to gain asylum in northern Europe, but not all of Europe wants them. The journey is difficult and rough for them and costing the lives of many. A few of the governments in Europe have been standing up and helping these people by providing them hospitality in their countries.
If things go right, many refugees will be able to find and create a new home in those locations. As it stands right now, there are many migrants are trapped at the Hungarian border. They are still fighting to get into the rest of Europe.